Less competitive programs/GPA

[SLPrincess]

Hi everyone,

I am currently a Junior in the CSAD program and I will be applying to graduate schools this year to begin in Fall 2020. Recently I've been feeling worried and concerned that I won't get into graduate school anywhere. So far, I have 7 A's and 2 B's in the CSAD program course, with a GPA of a 3.68 in the major. I still have to take the GRE. I have volunteered at both a hospital in the Speech Department and also shadowing a speech therapist in a local school. I am also involved in various other volunteering such as TBI support groups, working with children with ASD and Down syndrome, etc. I am also bilingual and have a lot of multicultural experiences in volunteering as well as personal.  I am very determined to get into graduate school for the Fall of 2020. Does anyone have any tips/advice on how I can get into graduate school? I have lived in California my whole life, and would love to go to a school here, however I am open to moving to another state. Does anyone know of any schools that would accept me, whether in California or any other state? Any advice or tips would be extremely appreciated!!!

Edited April 29, 2019 by SLPrincess

[VS-SLP2B]

10 hours ago, SLPrincess said:

Hi everyone,

I am currently a Junior in the CSAD program and I will be applying to graduate schools this year to begin in Fall 2020. Recently I've been feeling worried and concerned that I won't get into graduate school anywhere. So far, I have 7 A's and 2 B's in the CSAD program course, with a GPA of a 3.68 in the major. I still have to take the GRE. I have volunteered at both a hospital in the Speech Department and also shadowing a speech therapist in a local school. I am also involved in various other volunteering such as TBI support groups, working with children with ASD and Down syndrome, etc. I am also bilingual and have a lot of multicultural experiences in volunteering as well as personal.  I am very determined to get into graduate school for the Fall of 2020. Does anyone have any tips/advice on how I can get into graduate school? I have lived in California my whole life, and would love to go to a school here, however I am open to moving to another state. Does anyone know of any schools that would accept me, whether in California or any other state? Any advice or tips would be extremely appreciated!!!

What’s your overall GPA? I think you have a solid GPA in the major so that will go a long way for you. Add in that you have relevant experience and you’re definitely on the right track. 

I honestly don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting into grad school but if you really want solidify your chances I would just make sure to get a really great GRE score. My advisor had told me to aim for 300 combined. (I’m not sure if this is good or not so hopefully another user has better insight here).  

I think if you can do great on your GRE and also make sure you have strong letters of recommendation plus a strong personal statement you’ll get in.

 

[LaceySpeechie]

The best place to check is EdFind, which can give you a great starting point to look at the stats, specialties, etc. of different schools. I'd recommend looking for schools with bilingual programs, as there's many that have them specifically. Honestly your stats aren't too bad, but I've heard that Californian schools are quite competitive, so maybe plan on applying to schools both in CA and in other states to increase your chances. Start doing research now and make a preliminary list of programs based off EdFind - from there you can do more research and narrow down your list.

[coffee4lyfe]

Look at your experiences and find grad schools that have similar areas of interest- specifically, look at what professors are researching, what the department motives/goals are, if the program does any community service work. This will be huge! So you can do it!! Programs want to feel like you have intentionally chosen to apply to their program because of x, y, z factors, not just because they accept lower GPA. I had a 3.2 GPA overall and got into my top schools (one of them being Ivy), I believe because my experience matched their program's research and motives/goals. Also, reach out to professors at those schools and express interest in the program, their research, ask if they're willing to meet with you. (make sure this is genuine interest though!) Making connections at schools goes a long way. 

 

Another thing is choosing programs that express interest in a well-rounded applicant (I've found that a lot of med-focused programs are very GPA driven). You have a ton of good experience in the field already, and this will help outweigh your GPA if you choose the right schools and have a strong personal statement. If you are still shadowing the speech therapist in a school, ask them for a letter of recommendation if you feel appropriate! 

[Rezzy S.]

You have great experiences and your stats are good. However, it’s really hard to get into CA schools, particularly CSUs because they take less of a holistic approach with some imposing an arbitrary GPA cutoff to narrow down the hundreds of applications they receive. I think with a 3.68 GPA, it could be challenging to get into a CSU (though not impossible!). I would lean heavily into applying to private CA schools, at least 4 out of state schools, and a couple handpicked CSUs you think you’d have the best shot at.

Rely on EdFind as you pick your schools. I think if you do that and apply a variety of places you’ll have a good chance of starting in 2020  

In CA, the problem is not your stats , it’s that there are too few programs with too few spots for way too many people!

Good luck!

16 hours ago, SLPrincess said:

I have lived in California my whole life, and would love to go to a school here, however I am open to moving to another state. Does anyone know of any schools that would accept me, whether in California or any other state? 

 

[SLPrincess]

6 hours ago, VS-SLP2B said:

What’s your overall GPA? I think you have a solid GPA in the major so that will go a long way for you. Add in that you have relevant experience and you’re definitely on the right track. 

I honestly don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting into grad school but if you really want solidify your chances I would just make sure to get a really great GRE score. My advisor had told me to aim for 300 combined. (I’m not sure if this is good or not so hopefully another user has better insight here).  

I think if you can do great on your GRE and also make sure you have strong letters of recommendation plus a strong personal statement you’ll get in.

 

Thank you for the advice!

[SLPrincess]

5 hours ago, LaceySpeechie said:

The best place to check is EdFind, which can give you a great starting point to look at the stats, specialties, etc. of different schools. I'd recommend looking for schools with bilingual programs, as there's many that have them specifically. Honestly your stats aren't too bad, but I've heard that Californian schools are quite competitive, so maybe plan on applying to schools both in CA and in other states to increase your chances. Start doing research now and make a preliminary list of programs based off EdFind - from there you can do more research and narrow down your list.

Yes, EdFind is a great source! I've been searching for schools on there, but need to research more in depth because I want to choose the right schools to apply to! Thank you for the advice

[SLPrincess]

49 minutes ago, Rezzy S. said:

You have great experiences and your stats are good. However, it’s really hard to get into CA schools, particularly CSUs because they take less of a holistic approach with some imposing an arbitrary GPA cutoff to narrow down the hundreds of applications they receive. I think with a 3.68 GPA, it could be challenging to get into a CSU (though not impossible!). I would lean heavily into applying to private CA schools, at least 4 out of state schools, and a couple handpicked CSUs you think you’d have the best shot at.

Rely on EdFind as you pick your schools. I think if you do that and apply a variety of places you’ll have a good chance of starting in 2020  

In CA, the problem is not your stats , it’s that there are too few programs with too few spots for way too many people!

Good luck!

 

Thank you for the advice!